Telephones typically generate an audible ring to alert a user when there is an incoming call to be answered. In the case of wireline telephones, which are generally fixed in a particular physical location, there is generally little or no question regarding who the telephone belongs to and, hence, who should answer the telephone when it generates an audible ring indicative of an incoming call. However, in the case of a wireless mobile telephone, also referred to as a mobile phone, mobile station, cellular telephone, cell phone, mobile handset, handset, and particularly in cases where there are multiple wireless mobile telephones, each of which are located within an audible range of the owner of each other mobile telephone, there may be uncertainty about which mobile telephone is ringing when there is an incoming call. In many cases, the owner of a ringing mobile telephone, thinking it is another owner's mobile telephone that is ringing, may not answer his/her own mobile telephone when it is ringing and, as a result, miss a call.
In an effort to assist owners, or users, of mobile telephones to recognize when their mobile telephone is ringing, many mobile telephones allow a user to select, program, or download (e.g., from the Internet) a ring tune other than a manufacturer's default ring tune, to thereby customize their ring and render the ring of their mobile telephone more distinctive than a manufacturer default ring. A drawback with providing users with the ability to customize their telephone ring tune is that many users do not know how to customize their mobile telephone ring tune, and do not care to work their way through a cryptic menu maze to learn how to select a custom ring tune. As a result, many mobile telephones are left set to a manufacturer-set default ring tune.
Even if a mobile telephone is provided with a distinctive ring, it may still be difficult to identity when it is not ringing, such as when users set their mobile telephones down amongst other mobile telephones, and then are not able readily to visually identify their own mobile telephone from other mobile telephones that may also be placed proximate to their mobile telephone. Conventionally, one may identify his/her own mobile telephone by inspecting the outward appearance of the mobile telephone, but many mobile telephones look similar, particularly to those that are visually impaired. Alternatively, one may inspect unique telephone numbers in a telephone book stored in a mobile telephone, or check the telephone number of the mobile telephone itself. Users may also customize the outward appearance of their mobile telephones using custom covers and the like to provide a ready visual aid to identifying a particular mobile telephone. While inspecting telephone numbers, custom covers, and the like, are helpful aids for persons having good eyesight, such options are of little assistance for visually impaired persons.
Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus and method for assisting users of mobile telephones to be able to identify their respective mobile telephone when it rings to alert a user of an incoming call, or when it is placed amongst other mobile telephones.